Other books that might interest you

• 

  The Bridge of San Luis Rey

  Thornton Wilder

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Thornton Wilder's second novel, won him the first of his three Pulitzer Prizes. The novel opens in the aftermath of an inexplicable tragedy—a tiny footbridge in Peru breaks, and five travelers hurtle to their deaths. Most townspeople think to themselves with secret joy, "Within 10 minutes myself...." But for Brother Juniper, a humble Franciscan friar who witnesses the catastrophe, the question is inescapable: Why those five? Suddenly, Brother Juniper is committed to discover what manner of lives these five disparate people led—and whether it was divine intervention that took their lives, or a capricious fate.  Wilder maintained in his works that true meaning and beauty are found in ordinary experience. This is especially true of The Bridge of San Luis Rey. From the very beginning to the stunning conclusion, the listener is absorbed into the individual stories of the five victims, and how their destinies intertwine.

  Show book

• 

  The Hidden History Of Mark Twain...

  Susy Clemens

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Samuel Langhorne Clemens known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was lauded as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced,"[and William Faulkner called him "the father of American literature" His novels include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), the latter often called "The Great American Novel". Twain was raised in Hannibal, Missouri, which later provided the setting for Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. He served an apprenticeship with a printer and then worked as a typesetter, contributing articles to the newspaper of his older brother Orion Clemens. He later became a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River before heading west to join Orion in Nevada. He referred humorously to his lack of success at mining, turning to journalism for the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise. His humorous story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County", was published in 1865, based on a story that he heard at Angels Hotel in Angels Camp, California, where he had spent some time as a miner. The short story brought international attention and was even translated into French. His wit and satire, in prose and in speech, earned praise from critics and peers, and he was a friend to presidents, artists, industrialists, and European royalty. Twain earned a great deal of money from his writings and lectures, but he invested in ventures that lost most of it—such as the Paige Compositor, a mechanical typesetter that failed because of its complexity and imprecision. He filed for bankruptcy in the wake of these financial setbacks, but in time overcame his financial troubles with the help of Henry Huttleston Rogers. He eventually paid all his creditors in full, even though his bankruptcy relieved him of having to do so.

  Show book

• 

  Daughters of the Vicar

  D H Lawrence

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  ‘Daughters of the Vicar’ was written by D H Lawrence in 1911. It was the eleventh of his sixty-seven short stories, all of which will be published individually in audio book format by the Blackthorn Press. Lawrence is at his best in this story, taken from the scenes of his childhood and based on characters he knew intimately. The main themes of the story are the class system which dominated society at the time and the pressures put on the young lovers who have to overcome it and the position of women in society who have nothing to offer but their bodies. For the sake of security and position one daughter makes a loveless marriage whilst the other daughter gives all that up for love.

  Show book

• 

  A Story of the Wedding Tour

  Margaret Oliphant

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Margaret Oliphant Wilson was born on 4th April 1828 in East Lothian in Scotland but spent her childhood in Midlothian, Glasgow and Liverpool.   
   
  She wrote from a young age and in 1849 had her first novel about the Scottish Free Church movement, a cause her parents sympathized with, published.  Her next, ‘Caleb Field’, a couple of years later, led to a lifelong association with Blackwood Magazine to which she contributed more than a 100 articles and reviews. 
   
  In May 1852, she married her cousin, Frank Wilson Oliphant, an artist working in stained glass, and settled in Camden, London. Together they had six children but tragically three died in infancy.   
   
  Unfortunately, Frank developed tuberculosis and so they moved in January 1859 to Florence, and then south to Rome, where he died. Margaret was devastated and was left with the burden of supporting herself and their three children.  
   
  She returned to England and with her prolific literary work increased her commercial reputation and the size of her reading audience.  Margaret worked tirelessly to sustain her popularity with her supernatural tales and historical fiction. 
   
  Unfortunately, her family life continued to be fraught with tragedies due to the further death of her one remaining daughter, financial ruin for her alcoholic brother and unfulfilled ambitions for her two sons followed by their deaths in 1890 and 1894.  She had settled in Windsor near Eton where her sons had been educated in 1866 and was buried there following her death on 25th June, 1897. 
   
  Despite the short time she lived in Scotland, much of her writing displays strong connections in terms of settings, themes and its oral tradition.   
   
  Margaret was admired for her range of supernatural tales, which resonated with her fascination for the afterlife and given her own experience, provided a sense of comfort to those grieving.   
   
  She also wrote about the injustice faced by women and evidenced here by her strong tale:- ‘A Story of a Wedding Tour’ describing a young bride deserting her husband for a life that would give her a chance to express her own desires.

  Show book

• 

  The war of the worlds

  H. G. Wells

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  "The War of the Worlds" is a classic science fiction novel written by H. G. Wells, first serialized in 1897. The story is considered one of the earliest works in the alien invasion genre and has been adapted into various films, radio dramas, and other media. The novel narrates the invasion of Earth by Martians who, fleeing their dying planet, arrive in cylindrical spaceships and unleash destructive heat-ray weapons. The protagonist, an unnamed narrator, provides a firsthand account of the chaos and panic that ensue as humanity faces an extraterrestrial threat. The narrative explores themes of survival, human vulnerability, and the consequences of advanced technology.

  Show book

• 

  The Unparalleled Adventures of...

  Sampi Books, Edgar Allan Poe

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  "The Unparalleled Adventures of one Hans Pfaal" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe that tells of Hans Pfaal's daring trip to the moon in a hot air balloon. Through fictional technical details and the exploration of the unknown, Poe explores themes of ambition, isolation and the search for the extraordinary.

  Show book